Combined gas seal and regulator.



Not M5349y PATLNTLD MAD. 5,1907,

D. W. BRADLEY. A COMBINED GAS SEAL AND REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.12, 1906.

ummm! I "lill UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. BRADLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN WILLIAMSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED GAS SEAL AND REGULATOR.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application med February 12,1906. serial No. 300.710.

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and uselul Improvements in a Combined Gas Seal and Regmator, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to regulators for reducing the pressure of gas delivered to the burner below thepressure in the mains; and the object of the invention is to provide a mercury seal adapted to permit the gas to blow olf into the atmosphere in case the regulator fails to Work, thereby obviating the danger which would result if gas under the full pressure of the mains were delivered through the piping of a house.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the arrangement of the mercury seal and reduce the amount of piping necessary to Y constitute the safety blow-ofil and simplify the formation of the castings used in the construction of the regulator.

As ordinarily installed, the regulator and seal are separate and distinct from one another and located at different points in the piping system, which results in more or less leakage, increases the cost of piping, necessitates the use of more space, and renders the work of installation more costly and difficult. By combining the mercury seal and regulator the above disadvantages are overcome and the piping can be done more cheaply, satisfactorily, and expeditiously than is ordinarily the case.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the combined gas seal and regulator; Fig. 2, a plan view of the interior` of the lower casting, and Fig. 3 a sectional elevation taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The device consists of a lower member 1 and an upper member 2, each member beingother suitable manner. The lower member is provided across its bottom with a crosschannel 7, having side walls S and a lower or cross wall 9, terminating at one end in a boss 10, into the outer face of which is screwthreaded a supply-pipe 11, abutting against a nipple 12, which latter affords a seat for a movable valve member 13. The cross-channel 7 is divided by means of a partition-wall 14, furnishing a seal-chamber 15, which has a top wall 16, which forms a portion of the bottom of the lower chamber 3. The seal-chamber is provided in its lower wall with an opening 17, having an outwardly-extending circular flange 18, into which is screwed a cupplug 19, lilled to a suitable distance with mercury 20. The top wall 16 has depending therefrom a pipe 21, the lower end of which extends down into the mercury close to the bottom of the cup-plug and provides a mercury seal for allowing the blow ofi' of gas in case of emergency. 'I` he seal-chamber 15 is provided with an outlet-opening 22, which registers with an opening 23 in a boss 24 on the upper section of the device, into which boss is entered a blow-off pipe 25, which leads to the outer atmosphere.

The valve member 13 has loosely `entered thereinto a stud 26, depending irom a finger 27, which forms the short arm ol a lever 2S, pivoted between ears 29, depending from a plate 30, the ends of which rest within recesses 31 in the flanges of the lower section. The inner end of the lever 28 is pivoted between ears 32, depending from a low er disk 33, which coperates with an upper and larger disk 34 to clamp a leather diaphragm 35, which diaphragm is clamped around its edges between the outw ardly-extending flanges 5 of the upper and low er sections. rIhe pressure necessary to lift the diaphragm is regulated by means of a coil-spring 36, which extends up into a recessed Loss 37 in the center of the upper section, and the compression of the spring can be adjusted by means of a set-screw 33, which is covered and protected by means of a cap 39. 'lhe gas delivered to the meter is educted through a pipe 40,. which is in alinement with the delivery-pipe 11, and is screw-threaded into a boss 41, outwardly extending from the cirstances.

cular upper section. In order to allow a nonrestricted rise and all or the diaphragm, a breathing-hole 42 is bored 'trom the upper chamber through the wall or the boss 24 to the blow-oil' opening 23 therein.

In use gas under lull pressure oi the mains is admitted through the delivery-pipe 11, which escapes. i'rom beneath the looselymounted valve member 13 into the lower chamber beneath the diaphragm and iills the chamber-until the pressure is sui'Iicient to raise the diaphragm against the tension oi a coil-spring pressing down upon it. When gas has been admitted to this extent, the rise or' the diaphragm and lever connected therewith will throw down the linger which operates the movable valve member and closes lthe nipple 12 against admission of gas until the pressure within the regulator has fallen by the discharge oi gas through the eduction-pipe suhiciently to allowT the diaphragm to fill and again admit more gas. This results in an equalization o'l pressure between the lower chamber oi' the regulator and the house-pipes, and this equalization of pressure will remain constant, owing to the rise and ifall or the diaphragm. The rise and fall of the diaphragm will be automatic by reason or the breathing-hole 42, which maintains atmospheric pressure within the upper chamber above the diaphragm and at the same timel prevents the escape or any gas, since the upper chamber is sealed by the diaphragm against the admission oi gas. In case the pressure within the lower chamber rises above a predetermined point the gas within the sealed pipe 21, under an increased pressure, will` iind an exit by breaking the mercury seal in the cup and escaping through the seal-chamber and out orY the blow-oil' pipe, thereby preventing an excess of pressure within the house-pipes and to the burners and the danger attendant thereon. By providing the mercury seal-at the point indicated the necessity lor additional piping and the possibility or leakage incident thereto is obviated, and the regulator and seal being combined into one can'be easily and readily adjusted within the house without the necessity i'or the use or any pipe in addition to that ordinarily employed in connection with the regulator, with the exception or the blowoff pipe, rom which, oi course, there is no danger of leakage under ordinary circum- The mercury seal is made by merely iilling the cup-plug with mercury and screwing it into place, which is an extremely simple operation compared with the somewhat extensive piping arrangement ordinarily employed in making the mercury seal. At the same time all danger oi leakage is entirely obviated, since it is impossible i'or gas to pass through or around the seal except in case of emergency.

The invention as a whole is simple and compact and of a shape and construction which enables the parts to be readily cast and ai'terward assembled ready i'or use.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure byl Lett-ers Patent, is-

1. A combined gas seal and regulator consisting of upper and lower sections, each hollowed out to form upper and lower chambers, a transversely-extending channel in the bottom of the lower chamber, a cross-wall in the channel forming a seal-chamber closed at its top, a mercury-cup screw-threaded into the seal-chamber and having mercury therein, a pipe leading from the lower chamber and having its lower end entered into the mercury, a blow-off pipe leading from the seal chamber, supply and discharge pipes communicating with the lower chamber, a diaphragm between the upper and lower chambers, and valve mechanism controlled by the movements of the diaphragm for regulating the inflow of gas from the intake-pipe, substantially as described.

2. A combined gas seal and regulator consisting of upper and lower sections, each hollowed out to form upper and lower chambers, a transversely-extending channel in the bottom of the lower chamber, across-wall in the channel forming a seal-chamber closed at its top, a mercury-cup screw-threaded into the seal-chamber and having mercury therein, a pipe leading'from the lower chamber and having its lower end entered into the mercury, a blow-off pipe leading from the seal-chamber into discharge-pipescommunicating with the lower chamber, a diaphragm between the upper and lower chambers, valve mechanism controlled by the movements of the diaphragm for regulating the inflow of gas from the intake-pipe, and a breathing-hole leading from the upper chamber to the blow-oli pipe, substantially as described. 5

3. A combined gas seal and regulator consisting of upper and lower sections substantially circular in shape hollowed out to form upper and lower chambers, a cross-channel in the lower chamber, a diaphragm between the upper and lower chambers, inlet and discharge pipes communicating with the lower chamber, a valve controlling the flow of gas from the inlet-pipe, a lever actuated by the diaphragm for'moving the valve, a mercurycup, a closed seal-chamber, a pipe leading from the lower chamber into the mercurycup, and a blow-ofi pipe' leading from the seal-chamber, substantially as described.

4. A combined gas seal and regulator consisting of upper and lower sections substantially circular in shape hollowed out to form upper and lower chambers, a cross-channel in the lower chamber, a diaphragm between the upper and lower chambers, inlet and disfcharge pipes communicating with the lower ICO IlO

chamber, a Valve controlling the flow of gas from the upper chamber to the blow-off iroml. the inlet-pipe, a lever fetuated bythe pipe, substantially as described.

iap uagm for moving the Va ve, a mereuryi cup, a Closed seal-chamber, a pipe leading l CHARLES W" BRADLEY' 5 from the lower Chamber into the mercuryoup, fil blow-off pipe leading from the sealchamber, and a breathing-passage leading` Witnesses:

SAMUEL W. BANNING, WALKER BANNING. 

